by his favorite author and he couldn’t wait to finish it. A well lined, weathered face showed the inner struggles, but then, continuing to stare at his dear friend, the lines began to disappear.
“What do you need, Travis,” he asked the slight, bent shape lounging in the overstuffed chair facing the fireplace. “Are you warm enough? Do you need a blanket?”
Putting up his hand in a dismissing gesture, Travis replied, “Come over here so we can talk.”
He rose with none of the quickness he had in his younger days, slowly made his way across the room, and sat down on the fireplace ledge, still holding his book between his legs.
“I’ve been thinking. You and I know that I don’t have long to live.” Harry opened his mouth, ready to protest, but Travis held up his hand. “No…no, listen to what I have to say.”
Noticing his trembling hands and wavering voice, Harry could see that what Travis had to tell him was very difficult so he waited patiently.
“I want you to call Karen for me.”
Harry raised his eyebrows at the mention of ‘Karen’.
“I need to see her because we have to talk.”
Amazing! Karen was Travis’ daughter, but they had been estranged for several years. Just last week he tried to convince him to contact her. Thinking his efforts had been futile because there was no indication he was even listening, now he wondered… maybe his stubborn old friend had paid attention!
A slight smile formed but soon faded as Harry remembered the suffering and missed companionship. Sadness over the separation permeated the whole house; even he fought to maintain a positive attitude amidst all the loneliness.
But, it would be so nice to see her again! Being treated like a member of the family for so many years, he had the same feelings as her father… caring, missing her, longing to see her again, love for a daughter, everything he missed out on by never marrying or having a family himself.
“Great! I’ll call her first thing in the morning,” he said, spryly walking back across the room. He settled in his chair, already starting to formulate plans for the visit.
The book still open on his lap, concentration broken, nothing could have prepared him for that request. He knew Travis was ill and didn’t have long to live. Maybe his longtime friend had sensed the end of his own mortality and decided to make amends.
Harry let his mind wander over what had occurred the last several years. It all began when Elizabeth died.
Elizabeth...She was the glue that held the tiny family unit together. She and Travis Morton had been married almost ten years with no hint of children in their future, but then Elizabeth went to the doctor because she thought she was suffering from a bout of stomach flu. Pregnancy was the farthest thing from her mind, but when the doctor told them the news, she was speechless, Travis, ecstatic.
Together, they awaited the birth of their child with gleeful anticipation, and, when he held the tiny bundle in his arms for the first time, he fell in love all over again. He didn’t think it possible to love two women and now his beautiful baby girl, Karen, stole his heart too. Tending to his wife as if she was a piece of fine china, he fed, diapered and soothed the baby to sleep, reveling in his new role as proud father while mother regained her strength.
The ensuing years brought untold happiness and joy. When Karen was in high school however, her Mom began to have spells where she would stay in bed for days at a time. It was obvious she was in a lot of pain.
When Elizabeth finally went to the doctor and learned the truth, she made Travis promise not to tell their daughter. Only the two of them knew the full extent of her illness…that cancer had dealt them a cruel blow. The doctor told them they didn’t have much time, but in their desire to protect Karen, they held her at bay.
She dealt with her apprehension by spending long periods alone, wondering at the reason for her parents’ preoccupation.
Elizabeth lasted only four months, dying quietly in her sleep. Travis, so overcome with grief, ignored his daughter’s attempts to share his feelings. Then, and only then, did the doctor reveal to Karen that her Mother had died from liver cancer. By the time Travis realized he had totally ignored the one person left in his life he truly adored, she went away to college, and he experienced the loss of his love all over again. He compensated by trying to exert too much control over her.
Karen rebelled and it was no surprise to Harry. She still resented her parents’ decision not to tell the truth about her mother’s illness.
Harry stood by, watching all of this happen while working for Travis at his insurance agency in Indianapolis, Indiana. The two men had become very close friends over several years. Travis hired him when no one else would take a chance on him.
Harry Parker, known as a loner, very quiet and withdrawn, lived with his mother throughout college, worked to put himself through school and never had time to meet a young lady, fall in love and marry. By the time he graduated, his mother was very ill and he spent his time nursing her until her death years later.
When he finally tested the job market, employers were leery of hiring a thirty-one year old who had not worked in ten years, whose people skills were less than desirable, and whose college training was a bit outdated.
Willing to take a chance on this shy young man, thirty years later and a lifetime of friendship in the process, Travis never regretted his decision.
Harry was there when Travis and Elizabeth Morton were newlyweds. He spent time in their home, enjoying their hospitality, during holidays and for regular weekly dinners. It gave the couple an opportunity to hear his story and have a renewed appreciation for what he had accomplished… completing college, caring for his mother, and postponing his own career until after her death. Even though it seemed as if there were some details of his previous and present life that he did not share, they recognized his sense of loyalty to family, saw it develop towards the two of them, and finally, when Karen came along, they noticed it expand to include her as well.
He was there when Elizabeth became sick, saw what the illness did to Karen, recognized the hurt and knew instinctively when she needed to lean on him for support. Keeping in touch during her college years, he was always available when she needed someone to talk to, affirming a very special bond that continued to exist. For his part, Harry just knew; he knew exactly when things started to fall apart between Karen and her Dad.
That was one of the things that always set him apart, made him different from a young age. He had a sixth sense that others remarked on but didn’t understand. His mother called it a ‘gift’ but sometimes it scared people and they distanced themselves from him. His Mother understood because she had the gift too. She taught him to respect it, not use it lightly. He saw things others didn’t, knew things before anyone else did. He was a psychic.
CHAPTER TWO
When Karen went to college in Illinois, she met Jonathon Sand, a kind sensitive young man, willing to listen and offer words of encouragement when she needed it most.
Harry thought back to the first time she brought him home to meet her Dad. Travis tried to be pleasant, considering the awkwardness that already existed between father and daughter, but in his futile attempts to be friendly, he only managed to seem aloof. He found fault with anything the boyfriend said or did,
